Mississippi College’s Jim Rosenblatt will step down as dean, join faculty in August 2014

Jim Rosenblatt, who’s provided extraordinary service as dean at the Mississippi College School of Law for more than a decade, will leave his post in August 2014 to become a law professor on the Jackson campus.

The energetic leader of MC Law since August 2003 ranks among the USA’s top 20 longest serving law deans. Rosenblatt deserves a great deal of credit for the institution’s rise to prominence.

During his tenure, a modern law school campus has emerged on East Griffith Street just blocks from the Capitol. In addition, there were three new buildings, a series of renovations to other facilities and the arrival of the latest high-tech equipment. MC Law strengthened ties to the capital city’s community by offering a Legal Aid Clinic in west Jackson serving more than 1,200 clients annually.

A member of the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 30 years before joining Mississippi College’s law school, Rosenblatt accomplished many strategic goals but felt it was time to pursue other objectives. “One can’t do this job forever. I have a sense that the end of this academic year will be an appropriate time to make the transition from dean to faculty.”

An expert in government contracts and military law who recently analyzed the tenure of America’s law deans in a national legal publication, Rosenblatt will remain an invaluable resource at MC Law. “I look forward to the opportunity to mentor students, support experiential learning and engage in community work,” said the Vanderbilt University cum laude alumnus and graduate of Cornell Law School.

Rosenblatt has been a dynamic leader as MC Law established law centers, developed programs with a skill-based focus, and instituted overseas study programs in China, Korea, Germany, Mexico and France. He orchestrated efforts to bring significant events of public interest to the law school, including live televised debates in races for Mississippi governor and Jackson’s mayoral contest.

Mississippi College leaders, including President Lee Royce, praise Rosenblatt for advancing the law school’s prestige in the eyes of the legal community, both regionally and nationally.

“Jim has done superb work as law school dean moving the program forward in so many impressive ways,” Royce said. “He has been fully engaged in the life and work of the Law School connecting with students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends while making such a positive impact upon all who meet him.”

Often seen enthusiastically giving “high fives” to members of the MC family at the law school and the Christian university’s main campus in Clinton, Rosenblatt will be missed, Royce said.

Colleagues agree. “Dean Jim Rosenblatt is a remarkably resourceful and talented leader whose boundless energy, keen intellect and passionate devotion to our students and faculty are all manifested in the marvelous transformation of MC Law over the last decade,” said Ron Howard, vice president for academic affairs.

Howard is delighted Rosenblatt will serve as a full-time faculty member. “His transition from the deanship to the classroom means he will continue to shape profoundly the careers of aspiring law students, who have always been his highest priority and greatest source of inspiration.”

Born in Natchez, Rosenblatt grew up on a family farm near the Mississippi River. His parents emphasized education and hard work as the cornerstones of life that will lead to success. The Mississippian served as president of his senior class at Vanderbilt and completed the ROTC program while attending Cornell Law School. He retired from the Army with the rank of colonel and earned the Distinguished Service Medal and three awards of the Legion of Merit. He’s won several awards for his service to the state’s legal community.

Rosenblatt and his wife, Lauren, are Ridgeland residents. Relinquishing his duties as dean next summer will give him the chance to spend more time with family and do some traveling. But Rosenblatt will never lose touch with thousands of Mississippi College law alumni, whether they serve on the bench, in politics, in military circles or another capacity in the legal world. “I am proud of our graduates.”

Mississippi College leaders expect to select a new law dean prior to the start of the university’s next academic year in August 2014.